Thursday, November 1, 2012

monkey mouse

My mom can make anything. Her preferred medium is food, but she can learn to wield any tool needed (from sewing machine to power tool) to make a thing perfectly. She is not a process maker (as I tend to be) but is a by-any-means-necessary-learn-to-do-it-for-one-project and use the tool required to get the job done maker.

The most memorable were our Halloween costumes each year. She would help us realize whatever me and my sister's little minds would fancy.

(1979 - I WAS PRINCESS LEIA!)

Yes, Princess Leia 2 years in a row. Which became a Fairy Princess the third year. We got a lot of use out of that white tunic dress! I remember Mom at the metal Singer sewing machine upstairs whirring sewing a scratchy white polyester fabric and oh yes. Why not lace at the collar? Fancy the princess with a lace collar, no matter its accuracy. The belt was amazing. I remember how it felt to the fingertips to this day. Constructed of layers upon layers of duct tape, perfect little bandolier for bullets, I put stubby pencils the little crevices. Perfect.

For M this year in homage to my mom's GET IT DONE craft ethic, I made a costume from a pattern and GOT IT DONE.

We cant decide if its a monkey or a mouse costume. Regardless, it was really easy to make (the directions were almost too descriptive - over explaining some steps.) and the hat can be a hat we wear for this winter.

The pattern suggested a fleecey felt sort of fabric that the thought of makes my teeth squeak. You know what I mean. Squeaky fake fur. Cannot deal. So instead I got a boring cotton flannel that ended up being cuddly and the perfect weight for the sprinkley Halloween we had here in the city.

We are lucky to live near a yearly Halloween block party where they close off the street and set up spooky tableaus in the garages and the kids can run free all over the street. We toddled on over and had a lovely Halloween night!